Fragments Returned
by Mary Haze
Summary: Alex has adjusted to her life in the Country of Hearts. She's even fallen in love. But what happens when she meets a stranger in her dreams, and unwanted memories return? Can her broken heart be mended? Who will save her now? And what happens when Alice's life is threatened? You'll find out in Fragments Returned! NOTE: This story is Part 2 of Fragments of Sorrow.
1. 1: A New Beginning

**Hello everyone~! And the second series of Alex in Wonderland has finally begun! *bows***

**Firstly, I want to thank the people who read Fragments of Sorrow. You and the viewers who reviewed are the ones who kept me going. Plus my love for the Wonderland games. Hehe~**

**So some unanswered questions will finally be answered in Fragments Returned.**

**I really can't think of anything else to say right now. So sleepy. XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not / have not/ will never own anything in Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice. All I do own are my OCs lol~**

**Well here we go! *cracks knuckles***

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><p>"<em>When the day turns into night,<em>

_Mortals weep. They run in fright._

_With fear comes man's abomination,_

_For she shall rise with great temptation._

_Darkness looms around the Earth._

_Hearts betray for trust is lost._

_The time has come for man's extinction,_

_Says the seer of divination._

_A sacrifice will set man free_

_Lies are spread to keep them safe._

_But only when the truth does rise,_

_The greatest horror shall arise."_

A small girl with long, black hair rubs her red, sleepy eyes while staring at a middle aged man.

"I don't get it uncle," she said while stifling a yawn.

Her uncle chuckled while closing the book in his hands and setting it aside on his desk.

"It's a prophecy written long ago by a great seer. He was an amazing fellow. Claimed he could see everything that was to come. And he was right about it too," the uncle explained in a cheery voice.

"But I don't get it," the girl whined. "Abomation, ektincton, divaton. What's it mean?"

The girl looked up at her uncle with curious eyes.

"Well my dear, first you need to-"

"Oh! And what's a seer?" the girl then added. "And greates howror. Howror is scary, right? So scary is gonna arise? What's arise? And what's scary gonna do to it?"

"My girl, you ask too many questions," the uncle said after placing his hand on the girl's mouth to silence her.

He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Alex dear, if you wish to learn, there's only one proper way to do it," the uncle said while removing his hand from the girl's mouth.

"What's that Uncle Aswal?" Alex asked while scooting herself closer to her uncle; all attention focused on him.

"You learn it yourself," Aswal said while crossing his arms, a grin forming on his face. "Getting someone else to tell you everything is only the easy way out. And in the end, you gain nothing from it. But if you try to find the answers on your own, then you'll always feel rewarded in the end."

"Ooooh. How do I find the answers?" Alex asked while rocking back and forth.

"Hmm, well we have plenty of books in the study for you to look at."

"Ooooh. So if I read books and learn then I get a prize?"

"Haha, why of course."

"What kinda prize, Uncle Aswal?" Alex asked while bouncing up and down.

"Knowledge. Which is one of the greatest prizes of all," Aswal responded while raising his index finger.

Alex gasped.

"I want it! I want it! I want the big prize!" she shouted excitedly, not knowing what the word knowledge meant.

Alex turned and ran for the study.

***SLAM***

"A-Alex! Are you all right?" Aswal asked while staring at the six year old who had run into a wall and was now on the floor.

"I'm okay, uncle," she said while getting up and dusted her clothes.

"My dear, you really should cut your hair. You can't see a thing with those long bangs of yours,"Aswal said with a worried look on his face.

"I'm okay," Alex said then took off again.

"Honestly, that girl."

Aswal sat in the chair and pulled out some documents from a manila envelope.

"Well maybe she won't bombard me with questions now that I've given her that speech," he said then chuckled.

His expression went grim as he noticed something written on the documents.

"What will I ever do?"

* * *

><p><strong>-CHAPTER ONE-<strong>

**-A NEW BEGINNING-**

* * *

><p>"Let's ride that one," I said excitedly while pointing at the roller coaster.<p>

Alice gulped, not feeling too pleasant about riding yet another dangerous ride located in the Amusement Park.

"I don't know… Maybe we should ride something safer first. We can always come back here later," she said while trying to convince me.

"But Gowland says this one's a real killer."

"He did, huh…?" Alice asked with a forced smile.

"Yeah! See, I read once about this roller coaster that could go up to 149 mph. Gowland says that this new one can travel past 170! Don't you think that's neat? It's a new record," I said while imagining how thrilling the ride would be.

It's been 3 months since I arrived in the Country of Hearts, and this would be my first time riding an actual roller coaster. It's only natural I'd be excited.

Suddenly a loud explosion was heard from behind. Alice and I quickly looked to see that the roller coaster had somehow exploded and was now in flames.

"Alice it-"

"Yeah."

"Do you think they're-"

"I don't know."

"…"

"…"

"You want to go home?"

"Yep. Let's do that."

With that said, we both turned and headed towards the exit. The Amusement Park, as thrilling as it was, never failed to demolish itself.

"Don't worry, Alex. We'll ride the roller coaster the next time we come here," Alice said with a warm smile on her face.

I smiled back. I truly was happy to have someone like her as a friend. She could be scary when angry, but she was also kind and caring. She was strict about dangerous things like weapons and warned the twins each time about where they could and couldn't take me. She even forced me to eat food on a daily basis which was kind of irritating at first. Though lately, I've been getting this warm feeling inside of me. At first, I thought of her as something like a sister, but now… I don't know. It feels like she's more than that. Alice is like…

"Alice?" I asked while looking at the young lady with curious eyes.

"What is it?"

"What is it like to have a mother?"

"A mother?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I've never had one, so I don't know what it's like or how it feels. Do you know?"

"W-well… I-"

"Hey doll," said an annoying Cheshire cat as he embraced me from behind. "Leaving without even a hello? Way to suck."

Alice looked at us in surprise.

"Boris! Let go of me this instance," I demanded. "And how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a doll?"

"I think you're misunderstanding some things, Alex," Boris said while refusing to let go. "Nya~. Do you mind if I borrow her, Alice?" he then asked.

Alice stared at us for a while then giggled.

"Well why not. I have to get to work anyways. You two play nice," she said as she waved to us then left.

"N-no wait. Alice? You have it all wrong!"

Boris then dragged me away into the crowds against my will.

* * *

><p>"Here you go," Boris said while giving me a strawberry ice cream cone as we sat on a bench.<p>

"Thanks," I said while eyeing the ice cream.

"Nya. You wouldn't tell me what flavor you like, so I had to guess. Do you like it?"

I looked up at Boris and gave him a fake smile.

"I do like strawberry."

"That's great!"

I softened while looking at Boris' happy expression. He was kind of cute like this.

"So I have an idea for what we can do."

"About?"

"Your crappy love missions," the cat responded.

"Hey! They're not crappy!" I shouted in anger.

"Whatever. Let's go on a date," Boris said while smirking.

"D-d-date?" I asked him surprise.

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

"Exactly how is this going to bring the twins closer to Alice?" I asked, forgetting the ice cream in my hand.

"Simple. I'll lead you around. You remember what we do. Tell me if you had fun or not, and if you did then tell the twins what happened," Boris explained as if it were the most simple thing in the world.

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I have someone I like," I argued.

"What? The gloomy clockmaker? Screw him. You know he only thinks of you as some kid," Boris argued back.

"How dare you! I know I have a chance with him if I try hard enough. You'll see," I said with determination.

"Well that's later. Now, we should focus on our date."

"No way."

I then felt something smooth and sticky running down my right hand.

I looked to see the ice cream dripping all over.

"Oh gawd," I said while throwing the cone into the trash. "Ugh, I hate sticky stuff."

"What a waste," Boris said as he walked up to me.

"Well sooorry if I wasted that precious ice cream. Someone had to go and spout nonsense about a d-d-daaaate! ? !"

My eyes went wide as Boris licked the ice cream on my hand.

"W-what are you d-doing?" I asked, flustered, as he continued to lick it all up.

He stopped, looked up at me, then smiled.

"Your face is red."

I glared hard at the pervy cat.

"You're cute when you're like that," he said then winked.

I could feel myself overheating. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment or even both, I'd make this cat pay.

"I really hate you."

"Whatever. Let's go," Boris said excitedly as he dragged me on. He had gotten used to all the hateful comments.

Maybe telling him I hate him almost all the time wasn't a good idea…

* * *

><p>I lay on the bed, exhausted from spending an entire time period and a half with Boris. I'll admit that the rides were fun and sometimes scary at the same time, but it annoyed me when Boris went into flirt mode.<p>

"That dumb cat," I murmured while staring up at the ceiling. "But being at the amusement park is fun… hmph! I'll never tell him."

I turned to my side and closed my eyes.

It was nice of Gowland to let me spend the night period in one of the guest rooms. I really did like that old man. Much better than Boris. Now if only he could play music better.

"…"

***sighs***

"I want to see Julius…"

That day when Julius first gave me his blood was when I felt a warmth in my chest like no other. How he protected me… The rare times when he was gentle… It's because he's usually so cold that those gentle times hold so many meanings for me. Plus, he was easy to talk to. I shared all my secrets with him. I feel like I could tell him anything…

Once, I read a book about a man who drank the blood of his lover. His love for her was greater than anything he had ever felt before, but drinking her blood only deepened their bonds. This made their love unbreakable and eternal.

Apparently those who drink the blood of their true love will always be bound to them.

"…"

"I guess it's like being tied down," I said while thinking of what Boris once said about falling in love. "No, no. Maybe something else."

"Ugh, oh well. I'll see Julius after a good sleep," I said while pulling the covers over me.

"Stupid Boris…" I said while drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"…lex…"<p>

"Mmmh…"

"..Alex…ake up…"

"Hmm…"

"Alex… wake up…"

"Ugh… Nightmare?" I asked while opening my sleepy eyes.

I yawned loudly while trying to open my eyes.

No use.

Sitting up, I rubbed them and waited a while for my vision to become clear. Waking up was never fun… Especially when I'm still sleepy.

"Nightmare?" I asked while looking around with only my right eye open.

Guess I'm not dreaming.

As I stood up and stretched, I couldn't help but feel something was out of place.

"It's so quiet... And what happened to my room?" I asked while looking around.

I looked down at my wrinkled clothes.

"Oh dear. Looks like I forgot to change clothes," I said in dismay.

Realization then dawned on me.

That's right! I spent the night at the Amusement Park. No wonder my room's so different.

***chirp chirp***

It's pretty quiet out there.

***chirp chirp***

Quiet enough for birds…? Why do I hear birds?

I decided to take a look outside.

Was everyone taking a day off?

Doesn't sound possible though. But then again, what do I know?

My eyes went wide after opening the door at the scenery before me.

"A forest?" I asked in surprise while taking a few steps forward.

I looked around, left to right, trying to search for the Amusement Park.

"What on earth… WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED! ? !" I shouted, as I started to panick.

I spun around, deciding to go back into my room.

***slam***

I watched in dismay as the door to my room shut itself and vanished.

I started to quiver as I knew where I was and was completely clueless to how I got there and why.

"W-why m-m-me?" I asked, right eye twitching.

Rustling could be heard in the bushes behind me.

Turning my head slowly, I watched in horror as the rustling became louder.

My eyes went wide as the creature revealed itself and roared.

"A-a-a-a-a… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ! !"

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><p><strong>Haha... Poor Alex. Not only is she in a forest (a huge fear created by the twins and accidentally Ace), but she's also face to face with something else. Something scary! xP<strong>

**Ahh so now it's time for Mary Haze's Questionnaire Corner! *ding ding ding***

**You have a question?**

**Mary Haze will do her best to answer it! *pumped up***

**Or if you just wanna review, that works too lol**

**So hope you all enjoyed! Will aim to post the next chapter in a week. Will try hard for it. Going to break myself from this procrastination.**

**Take care everyone! x3**


	2. 2: Frustration

**Hello everyone~ Chapter two is up! Please R&R. Hope you enjoy~**

**For those of you who have forgotten Alex's appearance:**

**-Character Summary-**

**Name: Alex Garsel**

**Real Age: 21 (looks 16)**

**Dream/Wonderland Age: 18**

**Hair: Long, Black (bangs cover eyes)**

**Eyes: Red (Left eye is partially blind)**

**Height: 157**

**Blood Type: O**

**Disclaimer: I do not, have not, will not ever own Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice.**

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><p><strong>-3rd PoV-<strong>

* * *

><p>"First we were in the Country of Hearts," Blood said while Alice listened closely. "And now we're in the Country of Clover."<p>

Alice waited for more to be said.

***silent pause***

"THAT'S IT? !" she asked in shock and frustration.

"Hmm. Did I neglect to say something?" asked a puzzled Blood.

"Nah, that was perfect! Couldn't have said it better myself," said a way too cheerful Elliot.

"That doesn't make any sense," Alice said while rubbing her temples. "Are you saying we've been placed in different buildings? But we're still in Hatter Mansion. How could we move if we didn't pack anything up or move ourselves?"

"Maybe it's a cultural difference," Blood said as realization dawned on him. He then explained to Alice how moving worked in Wonderland.

* * *

><p>"Wait for us big sis," Dee and Dum said as they raced after Alice who was rushing out of the building. She panicked when Blood told her how the Amusement Park now became a giant forest. If Alex had moved here along with the rest of them, then she'd be stuck in the middle of that forest. Oh the horror…<p>

"_If only I didn't leave her behind…"_ Alice thought guiltily while remembering how she left Alex with Boris the last time they were at the Amusement Park. She had thought of it as a perfect opportunity to go off and find clues as to who the culprit was that brought Alex into this world. Unfortunately, she couldn't find any.

"I can't wait to see the look on sister's face," said a happy Dee.

"She must be terrified, brother," Dum responded merrily.

"Ohhh, I hope Boris is with her," Alice said as she became even more worried.

"That's if Boris moved to this world," Dee said while looking up at Alice.

"Yah, we don't know who all came here."

Alice mumbled to herself as the trio continued on.

* * *

><p><strong>-CHAPTER TWO-<strong>

**-FRUSTRATION-**

* * *

><p><strong>-1st PoV-<strong>

* * *

><p>"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! !" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I ran alongside a boy with mouse ears and a tail in an attempt to escape from the angry bear.<p>

"S-S-S-SCAAARY BEAR! RUUUUUUUUUN! ! !" the boy shouted with tears flowing from his eyes.

We ran faster as we heard the bear roar from behind.

I felt a rush of anger as we heard a laughter behind us.

"QUIT LAUGHING ACE!"

"Ahaha! I guess I really pissed it off, huh?" Ace said as he continued to laugh.

***twitch***

This blasted knight was the main reason we were running for our lives to begin with! How dare he treat this like some sort of game? Laughing like some freaking maniac…

"S-S-S-S-SCAAAARY KNIGHT AND SCARY B-B-BEAR! ! Why do they pick on me?" The boy continued to cry.

I looked at the poor boy in disbelief. Must've been through a lot…

**ROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR**

The boy and I screamed as Ace continued to laugh.

"I think it's gaining on us," I said, almost out of breath.

Oh how easy it would be if I could just teleport… But if I did that, people would know I'm not human. Darn it!

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

"Me neither," I cried while agreeing with the boy.

As we ran out of the forest, I could see three familiar figures several yards away. My tears of fear became tears of joy. We were going to escape this forest, and hopefully that bear wouldn't follow.

***TRIP***

Time seemed to slow down as I fell towards the ground.

The boy continued to run to safety.

Suddenly, before my face could hit the ground, I felt an arm wrap around me and pull me back up.

My eyes stayed wide in shock as my tears of joy were converted into tears of fear once more.

"Ahaha! That was a close one," Ace said as he held on to me tightly with his left arm.

The sounds of the bear grew farther away.

Guess that meant it wasn't going to follow us out after all?

* * *

><p>I stayed silent while trying to catch my breath; still shocked from everything that's happened so far.<p>

Ace and a stuttering Pierce were busy explaining to Alice about what happened in that dumb forest. Pierce was apparently the boy with mouse ears and a tail. From what I've heard, that fellow actually lives in the forest. How he could stand living in a place like that was beyond my understanding.

I sighed as I finally calmed down. Now if only I could relax…

It really would be nice if Dee and Dum would just be quiet right about now.

"Are you listening, sister?" Dum asked with bright red eyes.

Okay, those sparkling red orbs won me. Guess I'll say something.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?" I asked while stifling a yawn.

"Aww sister's sleepy?" Dum asked.

"Ahh, sorry. I'm really tired out from all that running." Living indoors all the time, doing nothing but reading books, had probably made me a really lazy person.

"Then let's go home. You can sleep when we get there," Dee said. "An' then we can have fun after."

"Yah~"

"Yeah," I said, trying to sound cheerful but failing at it miserably. Would I even make it to the mansion?

"I'll carry her," a cheerful Ace said while lifting me up in his arms.

"H-hey!" I shouted in embarrassment and confusion. "Why? !"

"Because it's a knight's duty," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

***twitch***

"Would a knight anger a giant bear and make the lady run for dear life while laughing about it along the way?" I asked, still mad at him for earlier.

"Ahaha! It was fun, wasn't it? We were having an adventure."

"Don't ha ha ha me, and that was NO adventure," I said with a huff.

"Now that's enough," Alice said sternly. "What matters is that you're all safe. Even if Ace is an idiot…"

"Hey," Ace said while pretending to be hurt.

Alice ignored him completely as she beckoned us to leave.

"It was nice to meet you Pierce," she said while smiling at the boy.

"N-nice to meet you too," he said with a surprised look on his face.

"Let's meet under better circumstances next time," I said as I waved at him.

"Sure!"

Aww that happy look on his face… What a cute mouse.

"Now let me go, Ace!"

"Nope. Let a knight do his knightly duty."

"Argh!"

"Alex, behave," said an angry Alice.

I remained silent the rest of the way while the twins snickered in the background.

* * *

><p>Goodbye first love…<p>

I sighed in frustration as Nightmare finished explaining everything to me.

Julius, the only sane person in this world besides Alice, was still in the Country of Hearts it seemed. Seeing how I was in Clover, I could no longer see him.

I felt a sharp pang in my chest.

"Don't feel bad, Alex," Nightmare said while trying to comfort me. "It just wasn't meant to be. I'm sure you'll find your true love soon enough."

"Still reading my mind, huh?" I asked while glaring at the incubus.

Deciding to make him pay, I thought up a disturbing scene I once read in a horror book.

Nightmare suddenly barfed up blood.

Yep. You get what you deserve.

"H-hey now… Don't let your anger out on me…" Nightmare said weakly.

He looked like he wanted to say more, but kept quiet.

I get it.

But I won't say it just yet.

"Nightmare?" I asked while looking up with a bored expression now on my face.

"What is it?" he asked while recovering from the horrible scene.

"Be honest. When you look at me, do you see a monster?" I asked as I turned to look at him with my glowing red eyes; revealing to him my true form.

Nightmare and Julius were the only two in wonderland who knew my secret. I didn't have much of a choice with Nightmare, but Julius I could trust.

He paused for a while before answering.

"There's no need to look so sad," Nightmare said with a warm smile. "When I look at you, I don't see a monster. Only a girl who is lost and too afraid to take that first step in finding her way."

"Hmm…" I looked away, thinking carefully about the incubus' words.

"Alex, you shouldn't belittle yourself so. I understand your frustration, but you need to have more faith in others."

"…"

* * *

><p>"This way sister," the twins said as they dragged me from one shop to another.<p>

The boys had decided it was a good idea to take a stroll around town, and I was forced to go with them.

Why couldn't I just relax in my room for once?

Dee and Dum stopped for a moment to think.

"Where does sister wanna go?" Dee asked as they looked up at me with innocent eyes.

Innocent?

No.

They're up to something.

"Err, how about we just go home?" I asked while laughing nervously.

"Hmm~"

"Hmm~"

"Nope," they said in unison.

"Let's go there," Dee said while pointing at an accessory shop.

"Good idea brother," Dum said as they both grabbed a hand and pulled me towards the shop.

"Look sister. Anything ya want?"

Why were they so excited about this?

"Uhm…" I looked around at the items before me; Hats to the left, purses to the right, and cute accessories all around.

This specific shop was definitely targeting women.

Why would the twins want to come here?

"Does sister not like anything?" Dee asked.

I noticed the disappointment in his voice.

Were they up to something? Or were they not?

…_Alex…_

I froze as I heard Aura's voice calling my name.

_Alex… Help…_

What?

I snapped out of whatever trance I was in as I felt a hand gently pat me on the head.

I stared in surprise at two worried boys as Dee continued to pat me on the head.

"Big Sis says to pat ya on the head when you're feelin' down," Dee said. "She says it'll make you feel better."

"We don't want sister to be sad," Dum said.

They were worried about me.

"What's wrong sister?"

"We're here for you when you need us. We want sister to be happy again."

A feeling of warmth crept up inside of me.

Just what on earth was I thinking? These boys were trying to cheer me up, and all I did was try to accuse them of plotting something no good when they weren't.

"I'm sorry," I said with a weak smile. "I've just had a lot on my mind is all."

For the past three time periods, I had shut myself in my room. I'll admit I've had quite of a temper lately and have been acting kind of depressed. I guess an empty stomach can do that to someone especially with all the bad news I've been getting lately; Losing Julius, getting chased by a bear, and hearing Aura's voice everywhere I go.

"So what's wrong?" the boys asked as they continued to stare at me.

I sighed while looking away nervously.

"I'm just tired," I said with a forced smile.

"Well duh. That's cause sister never eats," Dum said.

The twins sighed.

"I-I do," I argued.

"Just a few bites isn't enough," Dee scolded.

"Let's go grab a bite," Dum said excitedly.

"An' I know just the place," Dee said while grabbing my hand and pulling me towards their next destination.

I grumbled in frustration.

I stared at Dee's neck for a while then quickly looked away.

Just how long could I go without food? How would I be affected if I waited too long?

So many problems piling up… And lately my thoughts feel jumbled up.

* * *

><p><strong>And that concludes this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed~ ^_^<strong>

***yawns* *falls asleep***


	3. 3: The Knight and I

**Aaaand here's Chapter 3, yay!**

**Thank you to those who reviewed. You made me really happy lol!**

**Please R&R.**

**If you have questions, you are welcome to ask away.**

**Disclaimer: I do not, have not, will not ever own Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice.**

* * *

><p>"<em>W<em>h_e_r_e_ i_s _i_t… WhErE iS iT_? ! ?" A woman in a black gown screamed as she searched frantically around the dark room in an abandoned mansion.

The wood in the decrepit building was decaying, and dried blood stains were in most of the rooms. Most of the mansion had burned down years ago, but some of the rooms somehow still stood to this day.

"_D_a_m_m_i_t! _I_f _o_n_l_y _I _c_o_u_l_d-"

"Well with a temper like that, no wonder you can't find a thing," said a young man as he walked nonchalantly into the room. "It also doesn't help to be blind. I don't understand why you choose to torture yourself so. All you need to do is ask, and I would have gladly-"

"_S_h_u_t _y_o_u_r _m_o_u_t_h,"_ the woman snapped while glaring at the man who now stood before her. He had the same cursed red eyes as Alex and caramel colored hair with bangs that covered his right eye.

"A cruel mouth you possess. I suppose you won't be needing this?" the man asked while holding up a small notepad.

"_W_h_a_t _a_r_e _y_o_u _h_o_l_d_i_n_g_? _Y_o_u _k_n_o_w_ _I _c_a_n'_t _s_e_e," said the irritated woman as she snatched the item from his hand. She gasped in surprise.

"I_s _t_h_i_s _i_t? _!" she asked excitedly.

"The one and only," the man said with a grin on his face. "Your beloved sister's so-called mission notes. We had a good laugh back then, didn't we Aura?"

Aura giggled as she hugged the notepad.

"_Y_es_… S_h_e _d_i_d _b_e_l_ie_v_ew_e w_er_e _i_n _l_o_v_e, _d_i_d_n't_ _sh_e_?_ _I_t _w_ass_o _a_mus_in_g_ _t_o _s_eeh_e_r _t_r_y _s_o _ha_r_d," Aura said with a warm smile.

"True. It worked out well in the end, didn't it? Because of that, I was able to get close without rising any suspicions. But now, we've come across a problem, haven't we?" the man said with seriousness in his eyes.

"_Y_e_s… _W_e _n_eed _h_er_ _mo_r_e_ th_a_n _e_v_e_r _n_o_w."_

* * *

><p><strong>-CHAPTER THREE-<strong>

**-THE KNIGHT AND I-**

* * *

><p>"Whoops! I somehow dropped my ice cream. I'm sorry," I said apologetically as the poor minty ice cream now lay splattered on the ground.<p>

I seriously didn't feel like forcing any unwanted food down my throat right now since I was close to starving for the real deal.

"Aww sister's so clumsy," Dee said as he sighed.

"True brother," Dum agreed.

"What should we do, brother?"

"What if sister's clumsy cause she's hungry?"

"That's right, brother," Dee agreed. "In that case, sister should have both of our ice creams."

"I agree, brother," Dum said as a smile grew on their faces.

Ugh… I need an excuse. Any excuse.

We suddenly heard rustling in the bushes.

As we turned our heads towards the bush, we saw Ace crawl out while looking as lost as always.

***pause***

***crickets chirp***

"Ace… What are you doing there?" I asked blankly.

"Oh hey, Alex," the knight said as he stood and dusted off his jacket while looking happy as always. "I'm just on one of my adventures."

"Uh huh…"

"Let's ditch the dumb knight," Dee said.

Dum nodded in agreement.

My eyes widened as an idea suddenly popped into my head.

"Actually, I have business with him," I said while smiling nervously.

"Aww what does sister want with the dumb knight?" Dee asked as both boys looked unhappy.

"I'll help you get together with Alice if you let me go without any questions whatsoever," I said with a blank look on my face.

"Okay!" the boys said excitedly.

"See ya, sister," said Dum as they ran off to some random shop.

Wow.

Mention Alice, and they're like obedient little puppies.

Those boys…

"What was that about?" Ace asked as he walked up to me.

"Needed to get away," I responded then sighed. "So having fun on your adventure?"

"Yep. The land is still shifting, so I want to explore as much as possible," Ace responded.

We stared at each other, a smile still planted on Ace's face.

That's right. Blood did warn me and Alice about that before; how the land shifts because the move isn't complete. Or something like that.

"So you have business with me?" Ace asked while pointing at himself.

"Nope. Like I said, just needed to get away. Sorry, but I made you my excuse," I said apologetically.

"Ahaha! No need to apologize. Instead, make it up to me by joining me on my adventure," Ace said as he grabbed my arm and dragged me along with him.

"Wait! Adventure where?"

"Who knows! Now time to explore," Ace said as he marched off with no plans to let go of me.

Gaaaaaaaah!

* * *

><p>"You look crankier than Julius," Ace said as we sat on a log beside the fire he set up. It had changed to night time, so we decided to camp out.<p>

"Well no duh you dumb knight! You do realize that we've been traveling non-stop for three freaking time periods? ! THREE! TIME! PERIODS! THREE!"

"Woah, calm down," Ace said then laughed.

***twitch***

"THREE TIME PERIODS, ACE!"

***stomach growls***

***freezes***

"Wow Alex, you must be starving," Ace said with wide eyes. "Ahaha! What? Are you on a diet?"

***TWITCH***

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO HA HA HA ME! ! !" I shouted as I tackled the guy.

"Ha ha ha this! Ha ha ha that! GEEZ! You HA HA everything," I complained while sitting on top of a flattened down Ace as I tried to strangle him.

He laughed away, looking as though he was having the time of his life.

"Alex, I didn't know you were a seme," Ace teased.

I stopped choking him and stared.

"Seme?" I asked in an icy voice. "What the heck is a seme?"

Once again, Ace burst into laughter.

"Hey! Stop laughing, and tell me what a seme is!"

"You want to know?" Ace asked as he grinned.

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't," I said while feeling irritated.

I suddenly became surprised as Ace grabbed my right arm and forced me to the ground. Before I knew it, I was on the bottom, and he was above me; looking down at me with a grin on his face as his eyes gleamed.

"In our current position, I would be the seme now," Ace said as he stared me down.

"What?" I asked as my anger slowly drained away and was replaced by confusion. "Wait, are you saying a seme is someone who tackles people to the ground?"

Ace chuckled.

"Man, you're really dense."

"Huh?" Dense about what? Ugh, I'm becoming irritated again.

"Hmm…" Ace's eyes widened a little as he continued to stare at my face.

"W-what now?"

"…"

"Ace…?"

I looked at Ace as I blinked in confusion. Why is he just staring at me.

"You know, I've never noticed this before but," Ace started to say as he lifted a hand and brushed my bangs away from my face, "you're really cute, Alex."

"D-don't do that," I said nervously as I quickly covered my face with my bangs. "And I'm not cute."

"Don't be shy," Ace said while smiling at me. "You're especially cute when you're all stressed like that."

What the heck…?

I stared at Ace, feeling dumbfounded.

"Ugh, get off of me," I said while crawling out from under him.

"Aww, you hurt my feelings."

"I know you're pretending," I said in anger.

"Yup! You caught me," Ace said then laughed.

"Geez…"

I wrapped my arms around my stomach while it growled again.

How the heck am I going to last?

"Looks like the fire's dying down. How about some shut eye?"

"Eh, okay," I said, as I became worried about my hunger.

* * *

><p>It felt like hours since Ace and I had laid down on separate mats in the tent.<p>

He had mumbled to himself several times during the night, but I couldn't make out what he said… Well actually, it was more like I was too focused on my poor stomach.

I never had a huge problem with this hunger before… But the last time I had a meal was around three time periods before our move to Clover.

That was three… six, seven, eight…

***growls***

Ugh, forget it… I need to do something fast.

I turned to look at Ace who was sleeping soundly a few feet away from me.

Now would be a good time to sneak out.

I slowly crept out of the tent, careful not to make a single sound.

"Aww why do we have to be in the middle of the forest?" I whined silently to myself.

I looked left to right around the creepy, dark forest.

What do I do now?

Do I brave the forest to find a meal, or stay here like a coward and starve?

Hmm… Is it even possible for me to satisfy my hunger by drinking an animal's blood?

I did read in a series once how some of my kind drank the blood of animals. They called themselves vegetarians was it? Is that truly possible?

***gulps***

***takes a step forward***

***pauses***

***takes another step forward***

***pauses***

***takes another-**

"Hoo, hoo," goes a random owl.

My eyes widen in fear as I take two steps back and bump into something that wasn't there before.

"Boo."

A scream, so loud that it could send shivers up the entire skeleton, was heard throughout the forest.

"Woah. Looks like Alex made it to Clover," Boris said in surprise; far, far away from mine and Ace's campsite.

"Did she end up alone in the forest again?" he asked as he sweat-dropped, knowing too well about the fear.

I shivered on the ground, tears flowing from my eyes as I stared up at Ace as he tried desperately hard to contain his laughter.

I wanted to yell at the knight, but was much too afraid to say a single darn thing.

Oh, there he goes, laughing his stupid head off.

After a while of laughing, Ace finally calmed down and looked at me.

"Ahaha! You really are terrified of this place. I can't believe how loud you screamed," he said as he lowered himself to my level.

"…"

"Hey, don't be like that. I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted to have some fun. After all, you were the one who tried to sneak out," Ace said while grinning.

"…"

I wanted to say something so badly, but was still too afraid. Gawd Ace, you're going to get it! You'll see! Just wait until you least expect it you jerk!

"Alex?" Ace asked as a frown appeared on his face. "Say something?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Ace became very confused.

***about an hour later…***

Ace and I were sitting in the tent.

"So the more scared you get, the less you can say huh?" Ace said with a surprised look on his face. "I had no idea."

"Well now you do," I said while not planning to forgive the guy so easily. Though thanks to him, I completely lost my appetite for the time being.

"Aww don't be mad. I was only playing around," Ace said while trying to act concerned.

No way am I buying that act.

"Hm but you didn't lose your voice when we were being chased by the bear," said the knight as he closed his eyes in thought while placing a finger to his chin.

"Oh that's being I was really angry with you," I answered while glaring at Ace.

"Huh?"

"For getting that bear to chase us. And you kept laughing! It was making me so upset, I was more angry than scared," I said while crossing my arms then sighed.

"Oh I get it! Well then, I have a solution to your problem," Ace beamed.

"And what's that?" I asked while raising a brow.

"Whenever you're about to get scared, just think of all the things that piss you off. That way, you'll never lose your voice," said the stupid knight, with a huge smile on his face, like it was the greatest idea of all time.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"You're going to give me high blood pressure with all this stress," I said in a deadpan voice.

"Hey, easy. I'll make it up to you," Ace said while patting me on the head.

I started to calm down.

"Make it up to me how?" I asked in disbelief.

"Heh. Well how about this. If you're ever in a pinch with something you can't easily get, maybe something you can't bring yourself to tell anyone else, make me the one for you to rely on."

I stared at Ace with wide eyes.

That warm, reassuring smile on Ace's face was new to me. It wasn't like his usual happy go lucky or teasing looks.

And the way he worded that sentence… Does he know?

"Ace, do you…?"

"Hmm?"

"…"

"Uhm, it's nothing… I… I'm sleepy," I said while rubbing my right eye. I just couldn't bring myself to ask. I was curious now though. Could it be that Ace somehow found out about me? Did Julius say something to him? Or maybe I'm thinking too much about that sentence.

"Heh. I'll take it for now," Ace said to himself as we went to our separate mats.

That night, I drifted off to sleep with more unanswered questions I needed answers to. Though these only needed a bit of courage from my part.

Nightmare's right. I do need more faith in people. It's just not easy for me. Not after everything that's happened over the years.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaand that's it for chapter 3, yay~!<strong>

**I hope you all enjoyed the Chapter~**

**Now off to bed! But before that, a question for you all:**

**Have you ever been so frightened from a scream, that you felt like your skeleton would jump out at any moment?**

**Well I have XD Once, years ago, when my mother was asleep, she had a horrible nightmare. I happened to be sitting next to her. That lady screamed as loud as she possibly could from whatever she was dreaming about. I swear, I've never been so shocked and frightened before… It literally felt like my skeleton was trying to jump out of my skin. All the vibrations and cold shivers I felt… brrr.**

**So yeah, screams can do that to a person XD**


	4. 4: Shopping With Alice

**Chapter 4 is up! Yay~!**

**Thank you very much for your pms. They always make me feel happy and motivated x3**

**I am super excited though! Oh and I have some really interesting info at the very bottom of this chapter. I found out about today, and I would have done back flips if I could~. So be prepared for that lovely info. XD**

***almost forgot the disclaimer* *laughs nervously***

**Disclaimer: I do not, have not ever, will not ever own Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice.**

**Now enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>*stab*<strong>

***slice***

***rip***

***stab***

***shreds***

"…"

***shreds***

***tosses aside***

***grabs a new victim***

"…"

***continuous stabs***

***pauses***

***sighs***

"Why am I still irritated? Usually this calms me down," I mumbled to myself.

I then stab the stuffed animal with all my might.

I sighed as I threw it aside with the other five stuffed animals that were now shredded to pieces.

Well this wasn't getting me anywhere. This was always my last resort when it came to calming myself down.

I was running out of ways to suppress my hunger.

"…"

Looking up at the mirror in my room, I saw how thin I'd become. It wasn't too noticeable, right?

"Ugh, all that traveling with Ace was a waste of energy." I sighed as I threw myself onto the bed.

After that stupid incident with Ace, we took so many time periods trying to get back to Hatter Mansion. I really should learn by now…

"Alex, can I come in?" I heard Alice ask while knocking on the door.

Shoot!

My eyes went wide as I quickly spun my head to look at the destroyed stuffed animals on the floor.

SHE CAN'T SEE THOSE!

"S-sorry, one moment," I said while grabbing them and quickly sliding them all under the bed.

"Alex?"

"Juuust a moment," I said as I threw the last bit under. Good. Now I just have to not forget it's all there.

"Okay, you can come in now," I said while sitting on the bed.

I gave Alice a fake smile, hoping she wouldn't notice anything was up.

"Have you heard about the assembly?" Alice asked with curious eyes as she stepped into the room.

"The what?"

* * *

><p><strong>-CHAPTER FOUR-<strong>

**-SHOPPING WITH ALICE-**

* * *

><p>I looked at a neatly dressed Alice in a clothes store that was referred to her by Blood. Apparently this assembly would last several time periods, and it was held in this place called Clover Tower. During that time, role holders were supposed to try to not kill each other.<p>

Alice looked impressed by her outfit. It was an adorable indigo blue dress, and she wore a black ribbon on her head.

"How pretty," I said in awe.

"Don't be ridiculous," Alice said shyly. "Now we need to find a dress suitable for you," she then said as she grabbed my hand and led me through the aisles.

"There's a dress right there," I said while pointing at a simple blue, sleeveless dress. "It's cheap too."

"We're finding something else," Alice said, deciding the dress was too plain.

"Oh, what about that one?" I asked as I pointed at a dress with a white top, red bottom, and black sash around the waist.

Alice studied it for a while.

"Another one. That one won't suit you."

"Alice-"

"If you're talking about the simple gray one with white sleeves, then no," Alice said as she twitched. "I know you're only paying attention to the low prices."

I laughed nervously.

So I was caught.

"Sorry… Just felt a little guilty. You're buying my dress after all," I said a little nervously. Alice was buying my dress, because I didn't have any money. I didn't have any money, because I didn't have a job. Why don't I have one? Because Alice wouldn't let me.

***sighs***

But she won't let me, because she's concerned about my health; Which would be better if I had food in my tummy.

"Oh please. I have plenty of money, so don't worry. We're going to find you something cute," Alice said with determination in her voice.

I wonder if Alice is more like a sister or a mother to me? Since I have no memories of a mother, I just don't know.

Grr this is hard!

Alice gasped as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Huh?" I asked, while wondering what had gotten her so excited.

"This one!" she exclaimed as she dragged me over to this one dress.

I stared at it in awe. It was a ruby-colored, knee length dress with sleeves that went all the way down to the wrists. A ruby-colored shawl was wrapped around the shoulders and reached the elbows. Black lace covered the bottom of the dress, shawl, and at the wrists. A black bow was tied around the neck and placed at the front of the dress.

"Excuse me, may she try this?" Alice asked, waving at the lady closest to us.

"Why of course~. You have good eyes, miss," the faceless said excitedly.

"Wait, what about my decision?" I asked nervously.

"Hurry up and try it," Alice said while shoving the dress into my arms. Both her and the faceless then dragged me to the changing room and forced me in there.

"I'll be out here," Alice said merrily.

I sweat-dropped while staring at the closed door.

I never knew she liked this kind of stuff.

* * *

><p><strong>-3RD PoV-<strong>

* * *

><p>"Is she your sister?" the faceless asked.<p>

"N-no, she's not," Alice said as a blush crept on her face.

"Does it look that way?" she asked shyly.

The faceless nodded immediately.

"It's just that you two looked so close. You looked like you adored her so much, it made me wish how I had an older sister who could love me just as much," the faceless explained.

"I see," Alice said with a shy smile, not knowing a proper way to respond.

An elder sister huh?

Alice knew that she could never be the perfect elder sister that Lorina was. She felt drawn to Alex, though. There was this unexplainable urge of wanting to protect and take care of her. Maybe even mother her.

"_Oh but we're almost the same age,"_ Alice thought, silently laughing at her silly thoughts.

But maybe this was how her elder sister was like?

Lorina was always like the perfect sister and mother for Alice and Edith; Always doing her best to give them the happiness and lives she felt they deserved. Because of that, Alice would act like an innocent, dependent, and adorable younger sister to please her. She, in return, wanted Lorina to be happy as well.

"…"

Alice missed her elder sister dearly. But if she left Wonderland, she feared she might constantly worry over Alex.

For starters, vomiting blood wasn't exactly normal. The doctors couldn't find anything either. But something had to be wrong.

***sighs***

"_Sorry sister, but I have to stay in this world a bit longer. Please don't worry too much,"_ Alice thought.

"Miss, are you finished yet?" the faceless asked while knocking gently on the door to the changing room.

"Is everything all right?" Alice asked while snapping out of her thoughts.

"She isn't responding," the faceless said with a frown.

Alice walked over and knocked on the door.

"Alex?"

No response.

"Alex, answer me."

Still nothing.

Alice froze; fear building up inside of her.

"Don't tell me…" she said as she quickly opened the door that, luckily, Alex had forgotten to lock.

Alice became pale and shivered at the sight before her.

A pale and bloodied Alex laid unconsciously on the floor.

Oh no…

* * *

><p>Nightmare vomited blood on his desk and fell to his knees.<p>

"Urk… Ugh, that stubborn girl," he said as his body shook.

He had been drinking coffee in his study in the Tower of Clover when he sensed that Alex had fainted.

Alice's mind had become a complete mess.

"And she's not the only one who's stubborn. It's becoming more difficult to block her sister off," Nightmare said. He then vomited more blood.

Suddenly, Nightmare could feel the presence of an unwelcome outsider.

"…ugh…no…"

* * *

><p><strong>-1ST PoV-<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Alex~<em>

"…"

_Oh Alex~_

My eyes snapped open.

_*giggles*_

I wearily lift myself up and take a look at my surroundings.

A void?

Is this a dream?

_*giggles* Over here!_

I look forward to see a small child with long, black hair in a red dress run off.

_This way~_

I follow the girl, not knowing what else to do. Though my steps were heavy, and I felt like I could fall at any moment.

Looking down at myself, I notice the blood stains all over my clothes. I saw that my hands were covered in blood as well.

"Why?" I asked, expressionless, while staring down at these hands of mine.

_YoU'rE a BaD gIrL, ALeX._

_*giggles*_

"What?" I asked while looking around.

"_Over here," _the small child said; beckoning me to follow her.

I guess I'll follow her.

_*laughter*_

I continue to head forward as the laughter becomes louder.

Placing my hands over my ears, I notice that the girl starts to vanish.

"No, wait!" I called out while forcing myself to run; not wanting to be left behind in this place.

"_I'm CoMiNg FoR yOu," _I heard a voice say from behind.

Turning my head, my eyes widen in fear as I see a pale, eyeless Aura chase after me.

"_StOp RuNnInG! ! !"_

I look forward and run with all my might. Though for some reason, my body was just too weak for me to move fast. I felt like collapsing at any moment.

"_ALEX! ! !"_

No.

No, no, no!

I don't want this!

Tears run down my eyes as I can feel her breath near my neck.

_*giggles* "Good-bye, Alex,"_ she whispered to me, which caused a shiver to run up my spine.

Taking another step, I noticed too late that the ground was missing.

Was I going to fall? Did I run off a cliff?

"ALEX!" screamed a familiar voice from behind.

Was that Alice?

Everything blanked as I suddenly felt someone grab me and pull me back.

"Alex? Alex, answer me," I could hear Alice say through sobs. At least, it sounded like she was crying.

The world around me was black though, and my ears were ringing terribly.

"Miss, are you all right?" said an unfamiliar, male voice.

Who… is that?

"Alex, please!"

Ahh… The ringing is stopping.

My eyes slightly open, and I look at the two figures above me.

The one beside me had to be Alice. Blurry vision or no, it was easy to tell; especially with her voice.

The man holding me though…

I blink several times until I'm finally able to see clearly.

Nope. Definitely don't know him.

This man had raven-colored hair and golden brown eyes. I also noticed the black lizard tattoo on his neck.

"She's awake," Alice said as she held my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thank-you so much, Gray."

"It's no problem," the man said as he smiled at her.

These two know each other?

The man placed his fingers at the side of my neck.

"Her pulse is low."

Ah… hungry.

"She needs help," said a worried Alice.

"Indeed. She's abnormally pale," the man agreed.

I started to lose myself.

"Alex!"

"Hold on miss."

Ah… throbbing. My throat… my head… chest… throbbing.

If only I didn't vomit that blood, I wouldn't be in this much pain. I could have held it back longer.

"Gray! We need to do something now," said Alice.

I could feel myself being lifted.

So dry… throbbing… it hurts… IT HURTS!

I'm sorry.

I can't take it anymore!

***bites***

I became blinded to everything around me.

All that mattered right now was the warm liquid seeping into my mouth. I quickly drank, completely consumed by my hunger.

I could feel my entire body heat up.

Right now, it felt so good.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaand that's the end of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. x3<strong>

**Now. Time for *drum rolls***

**WHAT I FOUND OUT TODAY! ! !**

**So a friend of mine tells me to look up quinrose on the app store on my iphone... I FIND AN ENGLISH VERSION OF HEART NO KUNI NO ALICE MADE BY QUINROSE! ! ! OH GAWD QUINROSE, THANK YOU! ! ! ! ! *super happy excited mode***

**Soooo of course I'm gonna DL and check it out! So looks like the artwork's done by my favorite artist for QuinRose; Mamenosuke Fujimaru. They've added new stuff in it. Extra parts that definitely weren't there in the original Heart no Kuni no Alice game. Less CGs, but still worth it. The translation isn't the best, but I'm not gonna complain. The fact that QuinRose went through the trouble to make something like this has made me extremely happy beyond belief. XD**

**I'm currently trying to decide on who's route I wanna do first~ I only went through the prologue. Might go w/ Boris though, and then work my way from there. x3**

**Anyways, I'm recommending this to anyone who's a fan. If you haven't heard of it, you know now. *winks***

**Geez maybe I should think about making a blog.**

**Well all righty then~ You all take care and see you next time! xD**


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